Joe Duggan (Reporter)
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to maintain existing citizens’ rights post-Brexit have blasted the Home Office after deportation orders were wrongly sent to up to 100 EU citizens in Britain.
British in Europe and the 3 Million wrote to European Commission negotiators to voice concern at ‘UK maladministration’ as talks resume with the UK government in Brussels.
They also called on European Commission negotiators to ‘focus closely on this issue’ during talks with Brexit Secretary David Davis.
“If serious errors like this can be made whilst the UK is still administering a system based on EU freedom of movement rights, what is likely to happen when it is running its own system, having ‘taken control again’?” the letter reads.
The 3 Million, which represents the rights of EU nationals in the UK, also announced it opposes the UK government’s offer of a new ‘settled status’ for EU citizens.
The group is concerned the new category could affect EU citizens’ right to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
“Recently, the UK drastically reduced the appeal rights of those affected by adverse immigration decisions, save in the case of EU citizens whose appeal rights were protected by European law,” said the letter.
“Settled status would mean the application of complex UK immigration law procedures to all 3 million, the loss of their existing rights and no guarantees that serious errors, similar to the letters sent last week, won’t happen again.”
Deportation of 100 people in error is the least of the worries, when a million skilled EU workers in the UK see their future outside Britain (KPMG report). The UK is heading for a massive brain drain. What great things Brexit has achieved.
There is now a glimmer of hope. The statement by Keir Starmer today, backed by Jeremy Corbyn, clearly says the single market and customs union will be pursued by a labour government. Obviously meaning freedom of movement will continue, along with abiding by the ECJ rulings.
Although meant to be a temporary extension of Brexit, it’s easy to read between the lines and see the whole sorry mess kicked into touch once and if, a labour party gains power.
So remainers, you now know which side your bread could be buttered if your cross goes in the right box.
God help the UK if ever the extremist orbyn gets in power! However I have to agree with him that the UK shouls remain within the single market and customs union. In other words return to the common market BUT, and it is a very big BUT, we cannot, and will not, be ruled by Europe. Surely we can arrange a free trade area without a political union and without being forced to accept anyone, even those with criminal records, entering our country. Long live Brexit with sensible agreement from both sides. If Europe would get on with the job of negotiating rather than trying to extract an unjustifiable “divorce” settlement from us, then both sides can benefit.
Why must we persist with this Euro myth about ‘controlling our borders’ and criminals. The UK has control on this issue. It is not in the Schengen area and everyone has to produce a passport or some legal identification to enter.
The UK Border Force can deny entry to any ‘serious criminal’ if there is a threat to ‘public policy, public security or public health’, whether they are from an EU country or the rest of the world. If they don’t, they are at fault not the EU.
Blinkered nonsense Mr.Chap. It isn’t up to the EU to make any concessions – Why should they? it’s the UK that seeks to eat it’s cake and have it. As for “being ruled by Europe” What do you suppose the seventy-odd British MEPs are for? You may not have noticed either, that plenty British crooks are free to come and go under freedom of movement.
If money is owed it needs to be paid, otherwise how will these putative world trade deals be pulled off without the trust earned from previous business with the EU? Potential traders will assume the UK doesn’t pay up so won’t give the UK houseroom.
Also, if you think Jeremy Corbyn is an extremist, what do you think the useless right-wing nutters are, who currently run the country? (Into the ground)
The UK government couldn’t organise a booze up in a brewery (putting it the polite way) and have become a complete laughing stock.
There are only two ways out of this mess, stay in the EU or join the EEA. Retaining membership of the single market and the customs union will mean we retain freedom of movement which immediately solves the problem of citizens’ rights, the Irish border and trade, it’s a no brainer. It would probably mean the exit fee would be reviewed because we would still be paying into the EU.
I’m not a Labour supporter (sorry Stefanjo!!!) but I like Keir Starmer and I think he would make a much better negotiator than Davis but that is not difficult. As the cliff edge approaches, permanent SM/CU membership will gather more and more support and just a few tory defectors will see hard Brexit crash and burn.
Spot on Suzi Q. Sadly, these misguided Leave voters have been drip fed anti-EU garbage by the likes of the Daily Mail, Daily Express and the Telegraph for years on end and they don’t realise that the UK deliberately didn’t enforce rules on EU freedom of movement and free healthcare (other EU states are far stricter on free healthcare) that have always been in place under EU law. Instead the UK decided to use the tripwire technique by taking no action and then blaming the EU for all their self inflicted problems.
Absolutely Jane … these things are hardly difficult concepts to understand … if you actually want to try! The real complexities are in the process of ‘Leaving’ – simple to some it seems – but will lead to the inevitable leap over the cliff!
When Mr Barnier said that he wanted to educate Britain, he did not mean it as an insult at all. He was merely trying to explain that the UK needs to understand what it means to be part of the EU, and what the issues are upon leaving. The original referendum question was far (far) too simplistic. Only now are people waking up to what it means to exist outside of the EU, and it doesn’t look good. In a way, this discussion should have come before the referendum, so that people could really see what was involved, and then they could make up their minds later.
It really is quite hilarious to see the UK accusing the EU of “blackmail”. Blackmail with what exactly? With Brexit? lol. This is what the UK wanted, so you can’t blackmail someone with something they already want. The UK have been made to look total fools.